Justus Ebert reports on one of the high-points of the era defining I.W.W.-led Paterson Silk Strike of 1913, the meeting of thousands of workers at Haledon, New Jersey.

‘Greatest Meeting Yet at Haledon’ by Justus Ebert from Industrial Worker. Vol. 4 No. 21. May 31, 1913.

Paterson Strikers Successfully Resist All Attempts of Bosses to Break Their Solidarity

(Special to Solidarity) Paterson, N.J., May 24. Haledon was today the scene of another monster demonstration in favor of the Paterson strikers and the I.W.W. injunction, “Go to Haledon” seems to be followed by an ever-increasing number of persons. The attendance of this afternoon surpassed even that of last Sunday in size. One estimate is 30,000 present. As for enthusiasm, it was more in evidence than ever before. This was due to many reasons. In the first place, the police have, during the past week, acted with their usual high-handed, unlawful and unconstitutional methods. They prohibited the strikers from meeting in Helvetia and Turn Halls, on the ground that they were disorderly persons in disorderly assemblage.

The dyers, to the number of 4,000, yesterday contested the right of the police to prohibit these meetings. They assembled at Turn Hall, despite the official prohibition and held a meeting. So that, instead of driving the strikers asunder, the prohibition had the effect of cementing them together, and also increasing the number of their sympathizers. Both the strikers and their friends were, consequently, out in force today to give further evidence of their solidarity; the result was as already indicated.

In the second place, the I.W.W. won a victory in the courts. It has secured a “foreign” jury to try the other indictments against its members. That is, Justice Minturn, concurred in the I.W.W. position that it could not secure an unprejudiced jury in Passaic county, with the result that he ordered the jury. drawn from the neighboring county of Hudson.

In his argument against the I.W.W., Prosecutor Dunn declared it to be a revolutionary body. Justice Minturn was not frightened by the fact; he declared that under the constitution it had a right to be revolutionary. This victory gave another impetus to the attendance at today’s meeting.

In the third place, the press of Paterson, New York and surrounding cities have changed their tactics. First they decried the I.W.W. as “violent,” “unlawful,” “engaging in dynamite conspiracies,” etc. Then they suddenly changed the tune, to the effect that the strike was breaking up and that the strikers were returning to work. These reports even pretended to specify the mills in which these wholesale returns were alleged to be taking place. Of course they were all lies, intended to convey the belief that the strike was ended, and to thus cut off its support and divide the strikers.

The crowd that turned out today did so in order to prove the reports to be falsehoods and to show that they failed of their malicious purpose. The establishments specified were each dealt with in turn and the real condition of affairs was set forth to, and by, the audience. For the members working in the establishments in question gave much evidence as to real conditions, as well as the representative speakers from the strike committee.

In the fourth place, there was much singing, which increased the spirit of solidarity and revolution. The German Socialist Maennerchor sang many inspiring songs, among them: the Marseillaise, which were well rendered and well received. Then the strikers rehearsed the songs which they are to sing in “The Pageant of the Paterson Strike.” This is a series of tableaux that will present the methods and psychological features of the strike. The tableaux will portray the picket line, the court room and prison scenes, the sending away of the children, and the strike meetings, with their songs and speeches. The pageant will be held in Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening, June 7, at 8 P.M.; 1,000 strikers will take part. It is estimated that the big Garden will be the scene of an unprecedented demonstration on June 7th. The idea is taking like wildfire. Surrounding cities will be represented.

To the workingman or woman living at a distance from Paterson and New York, the Paterson situation may not appear impressive. Let him or her take up any of the New York newspapers of the past week and disillusionize him or herself on that score. The New York press, especially the Sun of today, is clamoring for the violent suppression of the I.W.W. in order to end the Paterson strike and the possibility of future strikes under I.W.W. auspices. Men like Lewis Nixon, in a series of interviews, in the Sun of today, go out of the way of truth to denounce the I.W.W. as everything lawless, seditious, irreligious, and un-American. He calls out in frenzied rage for its drastic elimination from modern social life. The Iron Heel, so vividly portrayed by Jack London, seems to be the cure for the I.W.W. suggested by these eminent and respectable inciters to the murder of innocent men and women working to the advantage of the entire working class.

If we are to judge from the spleen shown by the New York capitalist press, the capitalist class feels instinctively that the strike is either going to make or break their ascendancy. They do not possess foresight enough to see that the I.W.W. is bound to reappear elsewhere, if beaten in Paterson, because the very tyranny of their dominance will make it necessary. However, be that as it may, they are intent on utilizing the Paterson strike to defeat the I.W.W. and thus entrench themselves more firmly for the time being.

They will leave no stone unturned to this end. They are bringing pressure to bear on Mayor Brueckman, of Haledon, in an attempt to have him use his authority to prevent public meetings in this borough. But, be it said to Mayor Brueckman’s great credit, he refuses to abrogate constitutional rights. As a socialist, worthy of the name, he insists on permitting the meetings, despite grand jury intimidation to the contrary.

The strikers are going to hold their meetings in the city of Paterson beginning tomorrow morning. The yards in the rear of the houses on Ellison St., opposite the Turn Hall, have been cleared of fences and made into one big open space. It is here where the strikers will meet.

The capitalist class are fighting the Paterson strikers tooth and nail, as venomously and as villainously as they dare. The working class is rallying to their support. They are being heard from in the matter of funds. More are wanted. The fight will go on, even if it lasts all summer. A few thousand dollars goes a great way among the Paterson strikers, so, don’t be appalled at the prospect in a financial way. Rally to their aid. Send in funds. Do it now. Interest your lodge, local or union. Take it up with your shopmates. Urge it on your sisters, sweethearts. and wives. All together the workers against the robbers!

Another big auto truck full of children left Paterson for Elizabeth today. Elizabeth, like New York, gives not only cash, but takes care of the children. Surely, you can also do your share. Send funds to P.W. Kirshbaum, 52 Ellison St., Paterson, N.J.

The most widely read of I.W.W. newspapers, Solidarity was published by the Industrial Workers of the World from 1909 until 1917. First produced in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and born during the McKees Rocks strike, Solidarity later moved to Cleveland, Ohio until 1917 then spent its last months in Chicago. With a circulation of around 12,000 and a readership many times that, Solidarity was instrumental in defining the Wobbly world-view at the height of their influence in the working class. It was edited over its life by A.M. Stirton, H.A. Goff, Ben H. Williams, Ralph Chaplin who also provided much of the paper’s color, and others. Like nearly all the left press it fell victim to federal repression in 1917.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/solidarity-iww/1913/v04n21-w177-may-31-1913-solidarity.pdf